Pet Shipping from the USA to Australia
Australia is the most demanding pet relocation destination in the world, and for good reason: the country is rabies free and intends to stay that way. Every dog and cat entering from the United States follows a strict sequence that takes six to seven months from first vet visit to touchdown in Melbourne, and every pet completes quarantine at the government Mickleham facility. Miss one step and the timeline resets, or quarantine stretches from 10 days to 30.
That is the part we take off your hands. One coordinator manages the entire sequence, in the right order and on the right dates, so your pet arrives eligible for the shortest possible quarantine.
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and Australia’s requirements can vary, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
We use Australia’s official import guidance as the baseline, then turn it into a simple checklist and timeline you can follow.
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Moving a pet to Australia is a regulated sequence where order is everything. The microchip comes before the rabies vaccination. The identity verification by two separate USDA accredited veterinarians comes before the RNATT blood draw. The 180 day wait starts when the approved lab receives the sample, not when you book travel. Here is what we lock in for every Australia move:
To keep everything clear, we break the process into steps:
We confirm what rules apply based on your pet and travel details.
We map out what happens when, so steps are completed in the right order.
We help keep appointments and timing aligned with what’s required.
We check the details that cause delays (microchip digits, dates, names, signatures).
We help align crate setup and routing with airline handling expectations.
We guide you on travel-day handoff and what to expect on arrival.
All dogs and cats from the US enter Australia through Melbourne as manifest cargo and transfer directly to the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility; there is no direct pet entry through Sydney or Brisbane. We book the trans Pacific routing, the crate, and the weather window, and we time the flight against your confirmed quarantine booking so your pet is expected on arrival.
After arrival, your pet completes quarantine at Mickleham: 10 days for a correctly prepared pet, in climate controlled individual accommodation with daily care and veterinary oversight. Visits are heavily restricted, but pets are released quickly once cleared. Errors in the identity verification or titer sequence are what stretch quarantine to 30 days, which is exactly what our process exists to prevent.
Curious what those days actually look like? Read our full guide to Australian pet quarantine.
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet directly with the Australian Department of Agriculture (DAFF) through the BICON system and with the USDA, so nothing in your plan is based on outdated summaries.
The sequence: an ISO microchip first, then the rabies vaccination by a USDA accredited vet. Then identity verification by two separate USDA accredited veterinarians at two different clinics, each scanning the chip and photographing your pet with the scanner display visible, submitted through the USDA VEHCS system. Only then the RNATT blood draw: the result must reach 0.5 IU/ml or higher, and your pet cannot enter Australia until 180 days after the approved lab receives the sample.
We schedule every step with margin so one missed date does not restart the clock.
Plan for six to seven months minimum, driven by the 180 day post titer wait. The BICON import permit takes roughly 20 to 40 business days and sometimes much longer, and quarantine space at Mickleham books out weeks ahead, especially before holidays. Start the microchip and vaccination sequence the moment a move to Australia becomes likely; the earlier we start, the more slack your plan has.
A dog or cat moving from the United States to Australia realistically lands between $5,500 and $12,000 all in. Australia is the most expensive route we handle, and most of the gap from an easier destination is not the flight: it is the BICON import permit, the mandatory quarantine at Mickleham, and the RNATT titer test. We price the full journey up front, government fees included, so there are no surprises at the Mickleham gate.
For the itemised breakdown, with every government fee linked to the authority that publishes it, see our cost to ship a pet from the USA to Australia.
In order: an ISO microchip, then rabies vaccination, then identity verification by two separate USDA accredited vets submitted through VEHCS, then the RNATT titer test with a result of 0.5 IU/ml or higher, then a 180 day wait from the date the lab receives the sample, then the BICON import permit, a Mickleham quarantine booking, final treatments, and a USDA endorsed health certificate. Your pet flies as manifest cargo into Melbourne.
10 days at the Mickleham facility near Melbourne for pets whose identity verification and RNATT were completed correctly and in order. Errors in that sequence can extend quarantine to 30 days. All pets from the US enter through Melbourne and quarantine at Mickleham; there is no way to skip it.
An IATA compliant travel crate sized so your pet can stand, turn, and lie down naturally, with ventilation on all four sides and secure hardware. We supply the right crate and help your pet get comfortable in it well before flight day.
Four repeat offenders: the two vet identity verification skipped or done after the blood draw, which extends quarantine from 10 days to 30; a titer result under 0.5 IU/ml, which restarts the 180 day clock from the new sample; the import permit filed late, since permits take 20 to 40 business days and sometimes longer; and Mickleham quarantine space booking out. Our sequencing exists to prevent all four.
One coordinator owns your file for the full six to seven months: vet scheduling in the correct order, VEHCS submissions, RNATT timing, the BICON permit, the Mickleham booking, the crate, the flight, and delivery after release from quarantine.
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